What breaks most · 2004 to 2019 model years
Nissan Titan problems by year
Owners have filed 2,681 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Nissan Titan across model years 2004 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2004 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2005 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2006 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2015, 2014 and 2013.
- Years to check closely: 2004, 2005, 2006
- Fewest complaints: 2015, 2014, 2013
- Complaints on file
- 26812004 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 20041013 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 7932 fires · 52 injuries · 8 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 61kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 56Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1013 | 27 | 7 | Powertrain and transmission (459) | |
| 839 | 9 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (464) | |
| 409 | 14 | 7 | Powertrain and transmission (189) | |
| 127 | 3 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (64) | |
| 112 | 6 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (27) | |
| 37 | 6 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (6) | |
| 37 | 3 | 4 | Brakes (6) | |
| 20 | 1 | 1 | Unknown or other (3) | |
| 14 | 3 | 2 | Body and structure (5) | |
| 10 | 0 | 3 | Wheels (2) | |
| 8 | 3 | 2 | Brakes (3) | |
| 7 | 1 | 1 | Air bags (2) | |
| 39 | 3 | 3 | Engine (10) | |
| 8 | 0 | 4 | Engine (5) | |
| 1 | 0 | 4 | Fuel system (1) |
What fails on the 2004 Nissan Titan
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 45% |
459 | 5 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 19% |
192 | 10 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2004 Nissan Titan |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 8% |
86 | 3 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2004 Nissan Titan |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 6% |
62 | 3 | Shop brakes parts for the 2004 Nissan Titan |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 5% |
55 | 2 | Shop suspension parts for the 2004 Nissan Titan |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 5% |
46 | 3 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2004 Nissan Titan |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 4% |
42 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2004 Nissan Titan |
| Air bags | 3% |
33 | 6 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Went in for a routine oil change and was informed of a rear axle seal leak. I did some research online and have seen that is a very common issue with nissan titans and more specifically the 2004 nissan titans. *bf
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Complete transmission failure due to faulty radiator design. Coolant mixed with atf, from internal transfer cooler leak.
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Radiator fluid mixing with transmission fluid via internal cooler in radiator causing vehicle to stop moving although motor functioning properly.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Nissan Titan years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2004, 2005, 2006 carry the most filings on the Nissan Titan. The 2004 alone has 1013 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Nissan Titan problem?
On the 2004 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 459 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Nissan Titan problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Nissan Titan complaints that include mileage is about 61,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.